YMCA Presents 2016 Alexander K. Buck Leadership Awards

Award winners Tiann Chen Pae and Reginald Best with YMCA Senior Program Director Paul Zeger.
Award winners Tiann Chen Pae and Reginald Best with YMCA Senior Program Director Paul Zeger.

Tiann Chen Pae of Morrisville, Pa. and Reginald Best of Somerset are the 2016 recipients of the Princeton YMCA’s Alexander K. Buck Leadership Award..

The award is presented to two YMCA camp counselors who exemplify the leadership qualities, character and passion of the late Alexander “Whip” K. Buck, a longtime Princeton resident and former trustee and supporter of the YMCA and its mission.

Core values for the YMCA including caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, showing humility and kindness to others, serving as a good citizen, possessing an infectious spirit of fun and adventure, valuing nature, demonstrating a balance of spirit, mind and body as a well-rounded individual, learning from mistakes, putting others first, being a good friend to all.

Tiann Chen Pae joined the YMCA’s summer camp in 2015.  This summer she contributed her talents to a variety of camps, working with children of all ages and abilities. She was honored for her dedication to working with children, her friendliness, positive attitude and creativity. During the school year, she works as a teacher for the YMCA’s afterschool program in Montgomery.

Reginald Best, son of Reginald and Renee Best of Somerset, is a first year YMCA camp counselor. A second year student at Rutgers Law School, he choose to spent the summer at the YMCA because of  his passion for athletics. He enjoys using sports as a tool to teach teamwork and values to children.

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Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.